DISCLAIMER: 'Resonance' is a story based on characters and situations from Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed which is a property of Sotsu Agency, SUNRISE and MBS. This work is non profited and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Unless specified, all materials in the web is work done by HERMIT JUNCTION. Please do not use without permission any text or artwork.

WARNING: Text and all related materials are rated R/M and may mild strong language, violence, cruelty, explicit adult content, rape, death and nudity unless otherwise stated. Please do not read if you are underage or maybe offended by such material. Spoilers for Gundam Seed.

NOTE: This fanfiction disregards the plotline of the original series' sequel Gundam Seed Destiny. Please go to gseedaftermath.hermitjunction. net for site hosting of this fic. For Dearka and Miriallia's story, please go to 'GS Aftermath Trilogy I: Rebound'; for Rusty and Lain's story, please go to 'GS Aftermath Trilogy II: Repercussion'.

Gseed Aftermath Trilogy III:
RESONANCE
a hermit junction project

Chapter 2

Shiho took her helmet off in a daze and stared up at the ceiling of the huge hanger in Versalius. Closing her eyes, she wiped some of the sweat off her brow, sighing tiredly. DEEP Arms was starting to give her a very serious headache.

'Shiho! You okay up there?' Vena called from below.

Looking down tiredly, Shiho smiled and pushed her feet against the rim of DEEP Arm's cockpit, landing on the floor lightly. 'Thanks.' She caught the bottle of water Vena tossed over.

'How's everything going? You look a bit tired.' Vena said, grinning at Shiho.

'I'm okay.' Shiho returned the smile and took a sip from the bottle of water. 'I'm not satisfied with the test though. I suspect that the data is not too useful.'

'Take it easy on yourself.' Vena said, wrapping one arm around Shiho's shoulders. 'It'll take some time. Maintenance is already dealing with the error.'

'I know.' Shiho sighed. 'I just wished there was a better solution to solve the problem.'

'Come on, lighten up!' Vena said, squeezing Shiho's shoulder. 'Everything's going to work just fine and besides, you've got Yzak Jule as your captain, that's got to be something. ZAFT is going to win, I know it.'

Shiho grinned. 'I know.'

'So how was the data?' Vena asked as the two walked down the corridor. 'Still not targeting well?'

Shiho nodded. 'There's some problem with the sensor, I'm not getting a quick enough reaction from DEEP Arms plus, there's some problem with the cooling system, you know, the same shit.'

Vena nodded, rubbing her chin with her gloved hands. 'The DTC cannons were technology from those prototypes, has this problem been bothering you for a long time.'

'Ever since I got my hands on DEEP Arms.' Shiho shrugged. 'It can still move and even fight, but not to the fullest.'

'Right…' Vena tapped her feet. 'Maybe – '

'Hey Poisa! We got work to do, to the hanger now!' Decole called from the far end of the corridor. 'There's something wrong with Deco and Loweia's Ginn, we need to get there fast!'

Vena rolled her eyes. 'What did those two idiots do to their Mobile Suits this time?'

'Get going, we need things done as fast as possible.' Shiho smiled, giving her friend a slight push in the back.

'I guess.' Vena turned to Shiho. 'See you later in the Mess Hall then.' She floated in the air but stopped and turned to Shiho again. 'I heard that Captain Jule had been watching your exercise the whole time, hope you get a good report from him.'

Shiho blinked as she watched Vena disappear around the corner. Shaking her head, Shiho gave herself a small smile and headed for the sleeping quarters. While changing into her uniform, she found a big bruise on her thigh. Shaking her head, she buttoned up her collar quickly and walked out of her room, letting the automatic door slide behind her. She had to get some salve from the infirmary.

Staring up at the ceiling, she ruffled her straight bangs and blew at them. She wasn't exactly tired, just didn't feel like doing much right now. She was still a bit worried about DEEP Arms, instinct told her that the battles in the future were going to be pretty bad and she needed her Mobile Suits in the best shape possible. Having Yzak Jule around wasn't going to be of much help if she didn't brush up her skills and the MS she depended her life upon.

Walking past the male sleeping quarters, Shiho jumped when she heard the sound of glass shattering. Stopping in her tracks, she realized that she was standing right in front of Klueze's room. Frowning, she took a step forward and strained her ears, trying to see if something was wrong inside. She blinked when she heard someone sobbing. Hesitating, she opened the door and found a girl with pink hair kneeling by a tray, her palm bleeding.

'Are you okay?' Shiho asked, rushing forward. The girl was staring down at her bleeding hand, tears overflowing. Shiho knelt down. 'You need to get that bandaged.'

'I – I don't have –' The girl stammered.

'Here.' Shiho helped her up by the arm. 'I'm going to the infirmary anyway, I'll take you there so we can get that wound bandaged. It's not far.' She assured when the girl gave her an uncertain look.

Shiho couldn't help but shoot glances at the quiet girl as they got to the medical room. The doctor was out when they stepped into the uncomfortably white room and Shiho had no choice but help the girl bandage the wound first.

'Sit.' Shiho said, pointing at the empty bed beside them. 'I'll get the first aid box.'

The girl nodded silently and looked down at her lap. Finally able to locate all the bandages and antiseptics, Shiho spread them out on the space beside the girl and started cleaning the wound, calming her down when she cried at the awful sting.

'What's your name?' Shiho asked, dabbing the wound again with alcohol-soaked cotton balls.

'Me?' The girl hesitated and looked away. 'You can call me Fllay, my name is Fllay Alster.'

'Fllay?' Shiho gave the girl a smile. 'My name is Shiho, Shiho Hahnenfuss, one of the elite Majors around this ship. You don't see many girls around here, we only have a few female technicians and soldiers like you. I'm the only female elite.'

Fllay stared down at her, then shook her head violently. 'I – '

'I was surprised you were in Captain Klueze's room, or should I not be?' Shiho gave Fllay a weary look. 'You came with Captain Klueze and Jule right?'

Fllay nodded and looked away.

'That's alright, they won't bite.' Shiho laughed and stood up. 'Seriously, I've never seen a more depressed look.'

'I – ' Fllay looked up.

'I'm not going to make you tell me anything.' Shiho said, her back to her as she put the things back into the box. 'But to be honest, you don't seem like a real soldier.' She looked over her shoulder and gave Fllay a small smile. 'I'm not judging though, don't worry.'

'Is there a doctor around?' An impatient voice asked from behind the curtains. Closing the box, Shio drew the white curtains back and found Yzak standing at the doorway. He frowned when he saw Fllay sitting there. 'What are you doing here?'

'I – I cut myself…' Fllay stammered, trying to catch her breath.

'Well it's done isn't it?' Yzak scowled, glaring at her.

'I'll go now.' Fllay murmured. Standing up abruptly, she rushed past Yzak who looked over his shoulder slightly, his frown deepening.

Witnessing their brief encounter, Shiho stared at Yzak with raised eyebrows. 'Do you need something?'

'Where did you find her?' Yzak asked curtly, ignoring Shiho's question, catching her by surprise.

'In Captain Klueze's room.' Shiho replied. 'Why?'

'I should have known.' Yzak said shortly. 'Nothing, it's none of your business.' Walking past her, he drew the curtains shut behind one of the cubicles, separating them.

Staring at Yzak's dark figure behind the white curtains, Shiho couldn't help but wonder as she took some salve from rack.

'What's wrong?' The doctor asked, stepping into the infirmary.

'I'm okay, just got a bruise on my thigh, mind if I take this?' Shiho asked, waving the tube in her hand.

'Sure.' The doctor said. 'Is there someone in there?'

'Uh huh.' Shiho nodded. 'I'll be on my way.'

'Sure.' The doctor murmured. 'Better see what's going on with this fellow. You sure you're okay there?'

'I'm sure.' Shiho said. Nodding, the doctor disappeared behind the separating curtain. Stepping out of the infirmary, Shiho was left scratching her head, wondering what happened between her new captain and the mysterious girl.

Yzak frowned at his reflection and fingered the prominent scar across his face. He had gone to the infirmary because his scar was itching and found himself running into the one person he did not want to see on this ship. Till now, he still didn't understand why his captain had brought Fllay Allster with them, on a ZAFT battleship.

'Yzak, sometimes war doesn't necessarily mean combat, there are other ways of war.'

What did he mean by that? Yzak thought, turning away from his reflection. He didn't like Fllay Allster, not one bit. She didn't look like a soldier at all and was a typical spoiled brat, always expecting others protection. He knew she was from Archangel but why his captain had saved her from Josh-a and brought her back to ZAFT was beyond him, let alone wearing a ZAFT uniform.

She couldn't live up to their uniform, the very sight of a her in a ZAFT uniform insulted the whole army.

Exhaling loudly, Yzak grabbed his uniform jacket and slipped it on, buckling his belt as he stepped out of his room. He needed to walk places, anywhere.

Strolling past a huge window pane, Yzak stopped and looked out the window at the starry space. He had found himself staring out the window a lot lately, something he never bothered to do. He had too much free time now despite the tension resulting from war.

Before when their group was still together, Yzak would have a good distraction. He remembered the time when they'd just hang out in the lounge. Nicol would be looking at his piano pieces with Dearka calling him a sissy. Nicol would retaliate by calling Dearka a pervert, having a huge stack of porn in his room. Their constant bickering would alarm Rusty who was always found with a sniper rifle or anything releated. Aside from pacifying Dearka and Nicol, he'd have to calm Yzak with Dearka whenever he lost to Athrun in any challenge, namely chess.

Yzak was not the person who'd like to lose and when the five of them were still a group, he'd be thinking of ways to beat Athrun and this left little thinking time to himself. In a way, Yzak considered it a gift.

Yzak looked away from the window and continued down the hallways lost in thought. Their group had broken up already due to war. Rusty died in the Heliopolis raid, an unfortunate incident which left their group permanently scythed. He was, after all, the pacifier in the group. When he left, their group split in half, Dearka and Yzak on one side, Nicol and Athrun on the other.

They never cooperated well, right till the lost of NIcol and Dearka. He had tried to reconciliate with Athrun, an act to show that he did not want their group to just split like this. Despite the many arguments and conflicts, he considered the time the five of them together valuable.

He never expected their group to split just like this and before he had time to comprehend the situation, he was left alone. It wasn't hard to cope with, but it wasn't the least disturbing either.

Sighing, Yzak stopped in front of the hanger gates. He paused for a few moments before he reached out and opened the gate door. The hanger was practically empty except for a few technicians at the control bridge. Thinking that there won't be anything to do around here except stare at his Mobile Suits, he was about to turn when his sensitive ears heard something click onto the hard floor of the hanger. Floating forward, he intercepted a data disc.

What the hell is this? Yzak though, examining the disc. He raised his eyebrows at the flower and moon picture scribbled on the label. Looking up, he saw a figure in a sharp yellow tank top float across the hanger.

Shaking his head, Yzak followed her and watched her panic slightly when she found that she was missing her data disc.

'Looking for this Major?' Yzak asked.

Jumping at the sudden echo of her team captain, Shiho turned and gave Yzak a salute, sweat sliding down the side of her face. 'Captain Jule!'

Yzak raised his eyebrows at Shiho's nervous form. 'What are you doing here at this hour Major Hahnenfuss?'

'I – I'm here to see if I can, uh, fix a problem with…' Shinho felt her heart pound loudly in her ear.

'With your mobile suits, the DTC cannons?' Yzak finished for Shiho, tossing the data disc back to her.

Shiho stared at the disc in her hands. 'How did you…'

'I was there during your exercises, I've been looking through the exercise data of my team, I kind of need to know this stuff so I can put my best men in the right position.' Yzak said, looking up at the huge Mobile Suits before him.

'Man?' Shiho raised her eyebrows at him.

Noticing his own mistake, Yzak shook his head sheepishly. 'Sorry, my best men and girl.'

'Girl?' Shiho frowned and crossed her arms.

'Woman, girl, what's the difference.' Yzak shrugged, letting his feet leave the ground. 'Besides, we're all technically just boys and you're what? Sixteen? You're still a girl.'

'I guess your right.' Shiho murmured, brushing her fingers through her straight fringes.

'You need to brush up your Mobile Suits Hahnenfuss.' Yzak said, looking up again. 'I've gone through your data and frankly, it's not too good. You have to fix this problem, even if your mobile suits is experimental type, there's no excuse.'

'Yes sir.' Shiho said softly. 'I've been working on it but I still can't find a good solution.'

'It's about the condenser in your pair of DTC cannons right?' Yzak smirked and pushed himself up into the air. Shiho stared up at him in awe. Yzak looked down. 'I can tell you a thing or two that might help, come up here.'

Running her hand through her hair, Shiho followed Yzak, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. She was impressed with how he suggested she solve the problem with DEEP Arms, never would she have thought she'd be given advice from Yzak Jule.

'This may just do the trick.' Shiho grinned down at the data pad, kneeling on DEEP Arm's shoulder. She looked up at Yzak's floating form. 'Thank you Captain Jule.'

'I just don't want one of my troops to die because of a technical problem.' Yzak muttered, crossing his arms. 'That's the worst reason of all to die on the battlefield.'

Shiho smiled. 'Captain Jule, what's it like in real warfare?'

Yzak shot a glance down at Shiho before looking up again. 'You have to be strong in order to win.'

'Really?' Shiho set the data pad down. 'You've had a lot of combat experience. Orb, Josh-a, Panama… Our teams really respect you and think high of you.' Shiho frowned at the silence she met, wondering if she had said something she shouldn't.

'The Josh-a attack was a catastrophe.' Yzak muttered through clenched teeth, his back towards her. 'Operation Spitebreak was a complete disaster, our plan destroyed. I watched with my very own eyes how the natural's self-detonation system destroyed my troops before me. It was a total massacre.'

Shiho watched Yzak's hand ball into a tight fist.

'It was a total massacre, a completely brutal trap.' Yzak declared. 'That's why we destroyed Panama, for the men who died in Josh-a. We succeeded and we are going to carry on until victory is ours, is ZAFT's.'

Shiho stared up at her new captain for a moment before she sat down on DEEP Arm's shoulder. 'Captain, can I ask you something?'

Yzak looked down. 'What?'

'Do you think war will end if we keep attacking others for revenge?' Shiho asked softly.

'It's not just about revenge, it's – '

'Maybe it's not.' Shiho interrupted, looking up. 'Maybe your right, maybe it's not just about revenge. Everyone enlisted in ZAFT has one clear and united objective, and that is to protect PLANT, protect our home, protect the ones we love. It's probably the inborn difference between Coordinators and Naturals that caused this war, maybe it's because of the inability for both parties to negotiate, to be considerate… but do you think killing one an other is really the best way to solve this problem?'

Yzak narrowed his eyes at Shiho. 'What do you mean Major?'

Shiho's eyes softened. 'Do you really believe in Patrick Zala's theory, do you really believe that wiping out all Natural's will solve this innate problem of distrust between the two parties? Maybe it's the Natural's were this war's initiator, hitting Junis 7 with a nuclear missile, but do you think killing other innocent Natural's is a way to solve this problem?'

'I don't know Major.' Yzak finally said after a long moment of silence. 'All I know is I'm a soldier, a loyal ZAFT soldier. I'm here to protect my home country and follow orders. We can only leave complicated political issues to our politicians and our chairman.'

'I guess.' Shiho sighed. 'If we don't follow strict orders, there's no way PLANT will be protected.'

'It's getting late Major Hahnenfuss.' Yzak said, coughing slightly.

'Huh?' Shiho blinked.

'Let me see some improvement in your next exercise.' Yzak said, pushing his way down the hanger. 'As I said, I want my best men in the best condition.' He paused and turned his head slightly at Shiho who was now standing on the shoulder of her Mobile Suit's. 'Flower's look good with girls.'

'What?' Shiho blinked at how out of the blue Yzak's words sounded.

'You're the only girl on my team Hahnenfuss.' Yzak gave her a small smile. 'You're like nice little flower that lights up the team, or so I've been told by your comrades. There's no harm in identifying yourself in the battlefield.'

Shiho watched as Yzak floated out of the hanger gates. Giving herself a small smile, Shiho stood straight and gave her captain a sharp salute before the gates closed behind him.

She glad to be a member of Team Jule, she really was.

'Major Hahnenfuss! Major! Get up!'

Shiho opened her eyes and turned her head, staring at the beeping telecom on the wall of her room beside the door. Shaking herself awake quickly, she threw off the sheets and pressed on the device. 'Hahnenfuss here.'

'It's Charlea, we've got a problem here.' Charlea's face appeared on the screen.

'What problem.' Shiho frowned, tugging her hair. 'Your shift isn't over for another three hours!'

'There's an emergency meeting at the bridge, it's about the Clyne Faction.' Charlea said.

Shiho's eyebrows raised. 'Clyne Faction?'

'Lacus Clyne betrayed PLANT and has hijacked Eternal.' Charlea said anxiously.

'What?' Shiho widened her eyes at the sudden turn of events. 'The shuttle built for Freedom and Justice?'

'Intelligence also says that Athrun Zala betrayed PLANT and is now a member of the Clyne Faction. He returned to Aprilius One with neither Justice nor Freedom on an OMNI shuttle. He's been labeled a traitor by his Father already and we've been ordered to retrieve Eternal and it's two Mobile Suits.' Charlea explained.

'There's an emergency meeting now right? I'll be on my way.' Shiho said, then disconnected the communicator. Sitting on her bed, she pulled her boots from beneath her bed and put them on quickly, tucking the end of her pants in. Grabbing her uniform jacket from the hanger, she shrugged it on quickly and fastened her belt while stepping out of her room, saluting one of her team members on the way.

Upon entering the bridge, Addess, Klueze and Yzak were already gathered around the strategic table.

'Major Hahnenfuss reporting.' Shiho gave a quick salute and floated towards the table. She noticed Fllay Allster standing beside Klueze, staring down at the electronic map anxiously while Yzak glared at her.

'This is the data sent from Jakin Due's defense line, according to analysis, this is the most likely escape route Eternal has taken.'

'L4 Colony Cluster.' Addess sighed, staring down at the map. 'First occupied by suspicious groups, now used as a supply base for them.'

'I'm not keen on thinking that the Clyne Faction has such a huge structure.' Klueze said. 'After all, he's a pacifist. People like him have already been purged and stripped of power, but now, someone's helping them.'

'I've seen Andrew Bartfield before.' Addess said, looking up. 'It's still hard to believe that he betrayed ZAFT.'

'He's a very talkative and optimistic man.' Klueze responded. 'It's possible that Chairman Zala has also fallen into his trap.' He looked up. 'He's now a hero who survived miraculously.'

'If it were us being injured like that, there's no doubt we're dead.' Addess said.

Klueze snorted. 'There's too many unpredictables, especially the minds of your enemy. PLANT has trusted our princess yet now she has become our enemy.'

Yzak stared at the map with furrowed eyebrows the whole time in silence. He looked up abruptly when Klueze called his name.

'The next time we come face to face with Athrun, he will be our enemy.' Klueze said, putting one hand on his hip. 'Are you sure you can shoot without hesitation?'

Yzak stared at him for a moment. 'Of course I can, he's a traitor.' He declared.

'L4…' Klueze's voice trailed. 'The whole crew will enter Phase 2, we'll see what's going on clearly when we're near the colony cluster.'

'Yes sir.' Addess saluted.

'Prepare your troops Yzak.' Klueze said. 'Luck always favors the prepared.'

'Yes sir.' Yzak responded. Nodding, Klueze turned and left the bridge with Fllay following him.

'Major Hahnenfuss, prepare the troops and give them a briefing of the situation. Meet me with Sassi and Charela in the conference room at ten hours.' Yzak ordered.

Shiho saluted and watched Yzak leave the bridge.

'You're going to have a hell of a time Major.' Addess commented, raising his eyebrows. 'He's not an easy captain to please, Yzak Jule.'

Shiho turned and smiled at Addess. 'But I know our troop will survive under his leadership.'

Addess cocked his head. 'Why?'

Shiho shrugged and floated towards the door. 'Because I trust him.'

Shiho found Vena curled up in a ball at the end of a quiet hallway, her head buried in her knees. She had never seen Vena look this depressed, this vulnerable. The confident and strong technician she knew before was gone.

'Vena.' Shiho said softly, standing before her, her shadow blocking the light. Stirring, Vena looked up at Shiho with her tear-stained face. There were scratches on her white skin from the rubbing she did with her working gloves on.

'They're dead… they really are.' Vena whispered, looking down again. Shiho sat down beside her, wrapping one arm around her shoulder. 'They're really dead…'

It had been two hours since the fall of Versalius II in their crew. Vena's two brothers were ZAFT soldiers on it and Shiho understood the pain of watching the ones you loved die right before your eyes. It hurt even more, knowing that nothing could be done.

'They're gone…' Vena rested her head on Shiho's head. 'What am I going to do Shiho? I'm left with no one.'

'You're not alone Vena.' Shiho whispered, she smiled down at her friend. 'You still have a friend like me and the crew in the hanger.'

Vena shook her head. 'They're the family I have, why did they have to take away my only family? Why? Isn't it enough that – that…'

Shiho's heart wretched as she watched Vena break down into tears ago, burying her face in her shoulder. Shiho could do nothing give her comforting pats on her shoulder. She didn't even know if these pats were at all comforting. No one could feel the real agony Vena or anyone like her was going through. No one.

Shiho later was able to put a weeping Vena into bed. She was in no mood to do anything and her technician head had told her to get some rest. Knowing that Shiho was one of her close friends here in this ship, he had asked her to look after her as a favor.

Giving Vena's sleeping form one more look, Shiho walked out the room and saw Sassi and Nix standing there with worried looks.

'Is she going to be okay?' Sassi asked.

Shiho nodded her head. 'I guess. The doctor gave her a tranquilizer before when, you know, she got out of control in the hanger. I later found her crying in one of the dark corners of the ship. She's asleep right now, on the medication the doctor prescribed.'

Nix sighed, racking his hair with one hand. 'I can't believe this happened, I can't believe we let this happen! How could this be? We let our partner ship fall right before our eyes!' Gripping his fist, he slammed it into the wall. 'Why?'

'Chill.' Sassi said flatly, crossing his arms. 'What we have to worry about is the future, a very near future. This faction is a great threat.'

'We're all tired.' Shiho gave Sassi and Nix a pat. 'Get some rest when your shift's over, there's going to be a lot going on in the near future, don't let this shoot you down, we have PLANT to protect and it needs us, our people need us.'

Nix nodded while Sassi gave her a weak smile. 'We better get going, our shift isn't over for another five hours.'

'Yes sir.' Nix said tiredly, his usual bubbly self gone in replace of solemnity.

Shooting a glance at her watch, Shiho decided to take a shower before getting some sleep since she was off for the next six hours. The steam always cleared her mind and she believed it would do the same this time. Things have gone too fast and it was hard to catch up, hard to follow, especially the deaths resulting from this bloody war.

When Shiho stepped out of the shower bay into the lounge that lead to it, she saw Yzak sitting there with his back towards her, staring out into the starry space before him. In the glass, she saw Yzak just sitting there was his legs crossed elegantly, a drinking bottle in his hand that was draped across the back of the sofa. He was looking out the window deep in thought and only looked up when he caught her reflection in the shinny window pane.

'Major.' Yzak greeted flatly, tugging at the towel around his neck.

Giving her long hair one more rub, Shiho pulled down the towel and smiled at Yzak in the reflection. 'Captain Jule.'

They stared at each in silence until Yzak opened his mouth again. 'You're off, get some rest.'

'You're off too, shouldn't you get some rest?' Shiho asked back. Getting no respond, she sat down on the sofa behind him, they're back facing each other.

'How's the team?' Yzak asked quietly. 'I get it's the first time they've seen something like this happen.'

'Not all are handling it as well as the others.' Shiho replied, looking down at her lap. 'A technician, a friend of mine has two brothers on the partner ship, her only family. She lost her parents in the Junis 7 incident and was left with only her two brothers and now they too…'

'It's war, they'll get use to it sooner or later.' Yzak said flatly.

'It's not that easy Captain!' Shiho cried, turning her head abruptly. She stopped when Yzak turned his head slightly and looked down. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude.'

'You're not rude and you're not wrong.' Yzak said after a few moments of silence. 'It's not easy for everyone, it's not easy for most people.' He gave himself a bitter smile and looked up at the ceiling. 'It wasn't easy for me either.'

'It wasn't?' Shiho tilted her head slightly and leaned herself against the sofa back.

Yzak shook his head and let his water bottle float in the air. 'I use to belong to an elite group put together by Captain Klueze. There were five of us and frankly, we never got along well, especially between me and Athrun Zala. It all started with the Heliopolis raid, our team members fell one by one. I threw an enormous tantrum when Rusty and Miguel died after Heliopolis and vented my anger in Athrun when Nicol died. Finally when Dearka went MIA and Athrun left Team Klueze, I figured death was no big deal. I've seen it, I've seen massacre during Josh-a and Panama, there really isn't much to be afraid of anymore.'

'Then why are you sitting here?' Shiho asked.

'It's started to confuse me.' Yzak said softly, looking down. 'You won't understand.'

'Maybe I won't.' Shiho agreed.

Yzak shot a glance at Shiho. 'As much as I think death in war is not that big a deal, I don't want my troops to die in anyway, not if I can help it.'

'I know.' Shiho said quietly. 'Neither do I, nor Sassi and Charela.'

'You're a good friend Hahnenfuss, you're a good friend, a good leader and a good comrade.' Yzak said. 'You know that's what you're piers say about you right?'

Shiho gave Yzak a bright smile. 'I know.'

'You don't seem that shaken Major.' Yzak said promptly, startling Shiho.

'Maybe it's because I'm more sensible' Shiho responded, lowering her head. 'Someone has to take charge of things and calm the situation down. I know you can and so will I.'

Yzak nodded and looked away.

'I'll be on my way then Captain.' Shiho stood up and threw her towel over her head.

'Get some rest, we're heading back for Jakin Due in two hours.' Yzak said.

'Yes sir.' Shiho gave Yzak's back a salute, smiling at his reflection in the mirror. 'You know what Captain?'

'What?' Yzak raised his eyebrows.

'We trust you.' Shiho said, lowering her hand. 'We're not going to die. You're not going to let us die and neither will we.' She bowed slightly. 'Good night.'

Yzak stared at the closed door in the window pane before him. Shaking his head, he grabbed the floating bottle and gave it one last sip before he threw it into the recycle bin.

She was right, he wasn't going to let his troops die again, not if he could help it.


End of Chapter 2
Next Update: 7th November, 2005